Turmeric (Curcuma longa) is a perennial rhizomatous shrub native to southern Asia, extensively cultivated in all parts of India. Turmeric is a member of the ginger family (Zingiberaceae). The history of the use turmeric powder and its medicinal applications has been described previously, but not limited to following: internally as a tonic, blood purifier, and externally prevention and treatment of skin diseases, Turmeric also has a long history of use for its anti-inflammatory and anti-arthritic effects.
The exposure of people worldwide to turmeric compounds including curcumin, and their many uses, has led to studies aimed at elucidating some of its medicinal properties. Some important work in relation to turmeric compound, curcumin is listed in the following publications: (Kapoor L D. CRC Hand book of ayurvedic medicinal plants. Boca Raton: CRC Press, 149-150, 1990; Kunchandy E., Rao M. N. A. Oxygen radical scavenging activity of curcumin. Int J Pharm. (Amst.), 58: 237-240, 1990; Reddy A. C., Lokesh B. R. Studies on the inhibitory effects of curcumin and eugenol on the formation of reactive oxygen species and the oxidation of ferrous iron. Mol Cell Biochem., 137: 1-8, 1994; Ruby A. J., Kuttan G., Babu K. D., Rajasekharan K. N., Kuttan R. Anti-tumour and antioxidant activity of natural curcuminoids. Cancer Lett. 94: 79-83, 1995; Sreejayan N., Rao M. N. Curcuminoids as potent inhibitors of lipid peroxidation. J. Pharm Pharmacol., 46: 1013-1016, 1994; Thamlikitkul V, et al. Randomized double blind study of Curcuma domestica Val. For dyspepsia. J Med Assoc Thai. 72: 613-620, 1989; Polasa K, Raghuram T C, Krishna T P, Krishnaswamy. Effect of turmeric on urinary mutagens in smokers. Mutagenesis. 7: 107-109, 1992); Cheng A. L., Hsu C. H., Lin J. K., Hsu M. M., Ho Y. F., Shen T. S., Ko J. Y., Lin J. T., Lin B. R., Ming-Shiang W., et al Phase I clinical trial of curcumin, a chemopreventive agent, in patients with high-risk or pre-malignant lesions. Anticancer Res., 21: 2895-2900, 2001).
These and other experimental clinical studies have shown the beneficial effects in skin diseases, muscle pain, would-healing and cancer etc. However, the mechanism of action that can explain turmeric's therapeutic effects is not well understood. Furthermore, there is currently no available method of biochemically standardizing turmeric powder or extracts.
What is needed is a method of standardizing preparations of turmeric powder or extracts based on its biochemical mechanism of action in order to produce uniform compositions and formulations for therapeutic uses.